Letters from George
by Taiga Scarlett
Summary: After Fred's (sudden) death, George finds himself twinless and lonely. To pass the time, he writes letters to his dearest brother. But what if Fred could read those letters? What follows is a heart wrenching tale of pain and loss, all centered around everyone's favorite twins. (I don't own the characters or any music pieces, though the lyrics are my own)
1. Missed opportunities

**I am very late to this Fandom, better late than never though. I don't own these characters. #Disclaimed. (Story takes place after the battle of Hogwarts or the seventh book/movie duo)**

 **Missed opportunity**

 _This place is so white, I have never seen a place so clean before. It feels almost like_ _St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, even though it's the size of Hogwarts. It makes me feel sick as I sit here next to the empty fire place that reminds me so much of the Gryffindor common room. I watch Snape carefully as he makes calculation over which chess piece to move. Moody sits in the corner, his magical eye sweeping back and forth even though he sits with a book in his hands that he procured from somewhere. Black sits and sulks in the doorway. Tonks and Lupin sit in the window seat, staring out at the white world on the outside. The trees aren't even green here._

 _Dumbledore stands behind my chair and hums to himself as he watches our game. I also know that he stands here to prevent me from leaping across the table and strangling Snape. It's strange to see Snape sitting there in white robes. We are all wearing them, I mean, why wouldn't we? But it is strange seeing any colour on Snape other than black. His hair isn't even oily looking anymore, nor his nose so sharp, but his eyes have a glow to them that I have never seen in him in life. It's as though he knows some great secret that he isn't sharing with us._

 _A sudden flutter fills the room and the empty hearth bursts into flames. The entire room draws a breath to gasp and gape. We are all frozen in place as we watch the fire. As abruptly as it had appeared, it disappeared. But it left something behind._

" _What is that?" I ask._

" _I don't know, Weasley. Why don't you pick it up?" Snape says with slight irritation._

" _Keep your mouth shut, Severus," Black bites out._

" _Enough! I will pick it up," Dumbledore says and steps over to the fireplace. "Fred, its addressed to you,"_

 _I gulp. "Me?" I ask._

" _Yes, it says so right here," the old man says. There I a twinkle in his eye that I cannot explain._

" _Open it," says Tonks._

 _I gulp again, suddenly nervous. And then I break the wax seal._

Dear Fred

Boy oh boy, I can't believe I'm doing this. How did I even let _that woman_ talk me into doing this? Anyway, shall we try this again?

Dear Freddy

It has been two weeks since the mass funeral. And when I say mass, I mean MASS. It was huge. It was nice though. As nice as funerals can be, you know. Ginny sang for you. She sang for you and all the others who…

I never knew her singing can be so hauntingly beautiful. It really does haunt me in my dreams. Oh, and please excuse the writing. The meds have just started to wear off. Wait, you probably don't know this but I'm in St Mungo's. Did you know there is a sixth floor? No one knows about it though. It's where they keep all the psychos and the mentally insane people. Did you know that loosing you has put me here? I'm sorry; I'm not blaming you for this. I mean, you couldn't have known.

Ginny, get out of my head! Please, I don't want that song. I don't want to hear it. But Freddy, you should have heard her. I will write down the words for you, so try to imagine her.

Oh, misty eye of the mountain below  
Keep careful watch of our brothers' souls  
And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke  
Keep watching over Hogwarts' sons 

You should have seen the look on the people's faces when our little sister opened her mouth; she captivated us all with her song. Just like Fawkes did after Dumble took the fall.

If this is to end in fire  
Then we should all burn together  
Watch the flames climb higher into the night

Oh Freddy, you should have seen the school after everything. It was burning, there was so much smoke and I still taste ash on my tongue. But don't tell _that woman_ that.

Calling out father oh  
Stand by and we will  
Watch the flames burn auburn on  
The mountain side

And if we should die that night  
Then we should all have died together  
Raised a glass of wine for the last time

So many times I wished that I had died with you, Freddy boy. Why didn't I die with you? Why did I have to stay behind without you? Why didn't Percy die instead? I know it's horrible but I wish he did. But then I would still have lost a brother that day…

Calling out father oh  
Prepare as we will  
Watch the flames burn auburn on  
The mountain side  
Desolation comes upon the sky

Now I see fire  
Along the mountain  
I see fire  
Burning the trees  
And I see fire  
Hollowing souls  
I see fire  
Blood in the breeze  
And I know we will remember you

Freddy, you should have seen the tears on her face. At this point everyone was sobbing, me included. The tears just wouldn't stop. Ginny, poor little Ginny, she just kept singing through the wails. I think Tonks' mom sobbed the loudest. I mean, she lost her daughter and her husband and her son in law. The baby cried too, but I think he was hungry.

Oh, should our people fall  
Then surely I'll do the same  
Confined in castle halls  
We fought too close to the flame

You should have seen mom, Freddy. She was awesome. She shattered Bellatrix.

Calling out father oh  
Hold fast and we will  
Watch the flames burn auburn on  
The mountain side  
Desolation comes upon the sky

Now I see fire  
Along the mountain  
I see fire  
Burning the trees  
I see fire  
Hollowing souls  
I see fire  
Blood in the breeze  
And I know we will remember you 

Why won't the words stop haunting me, Freddy? Why can't they leave me alone?

Why can't you leave me alone? I can't look at myself in the mirror anymore; I haven't shaved since before the funeral. I can't believe we only got to see each other old that one time with the goblet of fire…

And if the night is burning  
I will cover my eyes  
For when the dark returns  
Then our brothers will die  
And as the sky is falling down  
It crashed into this lonely town  
And with that shadow upon the ground  
I hear our people screaming out 

Mom cries, you know. Her eyes are always puffy and red when she comes to see me. I think it's because she didn't just lose you that day, but me too.

Now I see fire  
Along the mountains  
I see fire  
Burning the trees  
I see fire  
Hollowing souls  
I see fire  
Blood in the breeze

I should have told you I loved you more often…

I see fire (oh you know I saw our castle burning out)  
And I see fire (feel the heat upon my skin)  
And I see fire burn auburn on the mountain side

I really should have told you I loved you.

Lots of love

George

 _My tears stain the parchment._


	2. A challenge

**A challenge**

 _Reading the letter from George was probably the hardest thing I have even done. It hurt me so much and I struggled to breath, but I couldn't take my eyes off the parchment. I could see where his tears had fallen as he wrote it. I could see where he stopped half way through a sentence to wipe his eyes with his palms because the next few words were smudged. I could also see which words were the most difficult to write._

 _I sat there, in the high backed chair, and sobbed in the most undignified manner. I covered my mouth with my hand and choked as I bit back another sob. Snape watches me, our game of chess forgotten._

" _What is that?" he asks in his nasally voice that you and I use to mock._

" _It's a letter," I say softly. "A letter from George,"_

" _A letter?" Lupin asks._

" _What do you mean a letter?" Tonks says as she jumps up from her seat and hurries over to me._

" _It's a piece of parchment with writing on it," Snape snaps._

" _Don't you take that tone with her," Lupin growls and places himself between Snape and Tonks._

" _May I read it?" Tonks asks._

" _It's the boys', he doesn't have to share it with anyone," Snape says with a huff and crosses his arms over his chest._

 _Tonks looks at me; I can see the desperation in her eyes. "If you really want to," I say even though I don't want to share it._

" _May I read it aloud?"_

 _All I can do is nod._

 _We all plunge back into my brothers' words. Half way through, she lets out a howl of pain and the tears are streaming down her face. Lupin holds her tight against his chest, but she keeps on reading until it's over. And I sob all over again._

 _Tonks drops the parchment like its burnt her and she wraps herself around Lupin. She cries and cries and cries until her voice is gone._

 _A fluttering sound fills the room and the hearth bursts into flames again._

 _I no longer question it; I simply pick up the parchment from the floor and collect the new letter. I hurry out of the room and down a hallway. I just need to get as far away from Tonks' sorrow._

 _I find an open door and slip inside. I shut the door behind me and lean against it._

 _Then I break the seal…_

Dear Freddy

It has been about a week since I last wrote to you.

The strangest thing happened though. The night I finished writing you, I had a dream. But it was not a dream though; it was too real to be a dream. I dreamt that you and I were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, playing chess. But instead of being able to read you like I usually do, you became a challenge.

You know how these things usually end in a tie, right? But this time was different. You were different. You were cold and calculating and you moved your soldiers and knights without any consideration for them. You- you killed them Freddy, cold heartedly so.

But before you could win, before you completely destroyed me, you burst into tears. Freddy, why were you sad? Why were you crying like that? It scared me so much to see you hurting like that, that I screamed.

The nurses ran in and pumped me full of medicine. And even then I just screamed and cried.

Are you miserable where you are?

I'm quite glum here…

Mom and Ginny came to see me, well, what's left of me anyway. Ginny said Ron and Harry are running the shop while I'm away. I can't even think about the shop right now.

I mean, how can people be happy right now? How can the world be happy? How can anything be happy when you are not here with me? How? HOW?!

Oh god, I'm crying again. How is it possible for a human being to lose this much water from their eyeballs?

Anyway, I love you Fredster.  
G

 _My legs buckle and I sink slowly to the floor. The sobs wrench my body and I feel raw right down to my soul. "Oh George, what are they doing to you?"_

 **A/N  
It hurts… **


	3. A phone rings and twelve babies

**3 June: A phone rings and twelve babies**

 _I don't remember how long I sat like that; I don't even remember that I was crying. Why did it hurt so much to see how much this was hurting him? I could see his agony on the parchment. Why did I have to die? Why did I have to leave his side? Why? Why? Why?_

 _I slam my fists into the floor next to me, I feel so frustrated that I can't do anything to fix this._

 _A sudden ringing fills the room and I glance up to see a really old telephone atop a cabinet. I stand slowly and reach out to it but it bursts into flame upon contact. I gasp and stagger away as soon as I can move._

 _There is a letter in the place of the telephone. "Great, so now you are haunting me hey Georgie porgy? So much for pudding and pie and making girls cry," I mutter as I pick up the envelope._

 _I wish I were brave enough to open it. I wish I were coward enough not to leave it unopened._

 _So I do the only thing I can and break the wax seal._

Dear Freddie 

I know it has been an hour since I last wrote, but I have something important to tell you and it couldn't wait.

I have to be careful though, that _woman_ will be back any second now and I can't let her catch me.

Remember when you and I were messing around with the pet food that we were going to sell at the shop? The food that swaps the gender of the pet, to scare the vets and the owners parents? Well it WORKED!

Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, well he was naughty in the shop and eat what we left on our work benches. And you know what happened next?

He FELL PREGNANT! He had twelve kittens before the prank could wear off!

You should have seen Hermione's face! Oh Freddie boy, it was hysterical. Harry said that she about had a heart attack!

Oh Freddie…

I really hope that cheered you up a little bit. I hate seeing you cry, well dreaming about seeing you cry.

Love

G

 _I couldn't help the laughter that leapt forth from my lips. It just bubbled over like water from a young spring. It flowed out of my mouth and the sound of it reminded me so much of you…_

 **A/N  
I will update (try) every day. From here on the chapters will become longer, because it is selfish and swallows two prompts. I hope you people are enjoying this. Please review, if you want to… **


	4. Curious animal and blogging

**Curious animal and blogging**

 _My laughter dies down eventually, even though I still have tears in the corner of my eyes._

" _What a curios animal," a voice says from over my shoulder. I whirl around to see Dumbledore with a rather large grin on his face._

 _A chuckle escapes my lips. "Yes, yes, he is quiet a curious creature. One time he even ran away with one of my extendable ears," I wheeze out._

" _Oh, so that is how you lot knew what was going on?" Dumbledore says with a twinkle in his eye._

" _As if you didn't already know that," I retort with a grin once I catch my breath._

 _He gives me a knowing smile and taps his nose with his forefinger. "I don't suppose you know where to find anything to eat in this place, do you?" the elderly male asks._

" _Shall we explore the place together?" I ask. A mischievous grin grows on my face and I feel slightly excited at the new adventure awaiting me._

" _Yes, let's," Dumbledore says and spins on his heel._

 _We march out of the room, side-by-side, and our expedition into this unknown place begins. The walls are impossible white but they are not the same white. The more I see of them the easier it is to pick out the changes in the white. Some walls have a slightly green colour, like those of mints, while others have a soft pink colour, like that of freshly caught salmon. There are blues and yellows and oranges in the white and it takes our breath away._

 _The stone pillars lead up to delicately carved arches. It was strange not to see any paintings on the walls or suits of armour in the alcoves. It was strange that there weren't any trick stairs or shifting railings. But the strangest of all must have been the absolute silence. Not even a breath of wind dared to rattle the window panes in their frames. Not even our footsteps echoed off the walls, or our breathing. I couldn't even tell you if my blood was rushing in my ears._

 _We reached a circular room with a glass ceiling, the light was pouring in and the whole room felt warm. There was a fireplace close to the door with two comfortable looking chairs beside it, facing each other. Another chess board stood atop the coffee table between the two chairs, but this time they moved on their own accord. It was fascinating to watch. Each piece shone an icy blue before they moved and when they reached their destination they gave off an unearthly green glow. When one piece took another, the wining piece shone red while the losing piece shone black._

" _Do you think it is reflecting a match being played in another room?" I say a loud for no reason in particular._

" _No, I do not believe it is," Dumbledore says as he shifts the position of the glasses on his face._

 _A flicker of light appeared inside the fireplace, the flames danced for only a second before they were gone._

 _I sighed. "Another letter?"_

Dear Fred

Muggles are strange. Now I know that you know that they are, but I just have to prove to you _how strange_ they actually are.

Hermione came to visit yesterday with a file full of papers that she wanted me to read. You see, she **"printed"** these documents from **"blogs"** that she found on the **"internet"** on how to deal with the loss of a sibling/twin. She claims that **"blogging"** is actually a lot of fun and that she enjoys it.

Later on I had to ask Harry what all these strange words mean. And you wouldn't believe his answer. He said that the internet is also called the World Wide Web and that it makes research easier. He said that anyone can place information on the web because its storage is endless. He also said that anyone can access the information on the web, except wizards and witches you know? I mean, we can if we really wanted to and if we knew how…

Anyway, he said that **"bloggers"** place helpful (or not so helpful) information on their **"blogs"** and that Hermione has a machine called a **"printer"** that allows her to copy the information right off the web. Can you believe that? This World Wide Web must have a world-wide spider living on it, don't you think? Hagrid would love a pet like that.

By the end of Harry's explanation I felt even more confused than to begin with and I just came to the conclusion that wizards and witches are a completely different breed to Muggles.

Love you forever

G

 _The smile on my lips would have eclipsed the sun._


	5. In a garden and gratitude

**In a garden and gratitude**

 _Dumbledore and I spent the rest of the afternoon- or was it morning? I really can't tell- watching the chess pieces move on the board. We started predicting the movements of the pieces and how long it would take for a game to end._

 _It didn't take long for me to become accustomed to the players and their game tactics, but Dumbledore has this uncanny ability of knowing exactly when the game was going to end. I guess I just got tired of losing to him and I was still holding all my letters._

" _I'm going to find a safe place to keep these," I finally say after my umpteenth defeat._

" _Ah, yes. You should put those somewhere safe. Yes, a good idea indeed," the older male said while nodding his head._

" _See you, professor," I say as I move towards the door._

" _Please Fred, just Albus is fine," he states with a kind smile that crinkles the skin by his eyes._

" _Alright erh, Albus," I say hesitantly. A smile spreads over the older mans' face._

 _I turn and leave the room, milling about aimlessly as I look for a good place to keep my letters. It isn't long before I come across a room that looks like a study. The furniture is made of a silvery wood that seems so out of place in this white world. There is a fire place in the centre of the left wall and there is a mirror above the mantle. Floor to ceiling shelves line the walls and there is a window behind a large desk that draws the eye. The books on the shelves are stacked in all sorts of odds and ends, as if the person who this study belongs to wanted to cram every nock and cranny with the written word._

 _I move around the desk, pull out the high backed chair and have a seat. I notice the drawers and open them up, just out of curiosity. The drawer on my right contains quills, ink and parchment while the drawer on my left contains only a key. I pick up the key and spot the lock on the left drawer._

" _Excellent! Exactly what I was looking for," I say aloud. I place my letters on the desk, remove the writing utensils from their drawer and start writing back. I tell George about this place, about Tonks and her screaming, about Snape and his chess ability, even about how much I worry about him. I write eight scrolls full, which is more than I have ever written for anything back at Hogwarts._

 _I am so caught up in my writing that I almost miss the flames in the fire place that tell me my brother has sent another letter. I jump from the chair and hurry over to the fire place. I bend down to pick up the letter when movement above my head catches my eye. I glace up to see a bearded me in the mirror but I blink and the image is gone. Replaced by a pale looking me in white robes._

 _My heart races as I stare at myself, waiting to see if anything will happen. But nothing does, so I turn back to the unopened letter in my hands…_

Dear Fred

I dreamt about you last night, or was it last week? I don't remember. It's hard to keep track of time here. Anyway, in my dream, I was sitting in a garden. The grass swayed in the summer breeze and sunlight trickled down through the leaves of the tree under which I sat. There were bird calls and the buzzing of the bees and I heard laughter coming from somewhere. When I looked down I noticed that I was sitting with my feet in the water of brook that bubbled quietly, soothingly.

I couldn't take my eyes off the water when I heard more laughter. It was so strange, but I swore that I saw your face in the water. You were leaning against a door of some sort and you were holding a piece of paper in your hands. There were tears streaming down your face but you didn't look sad.

I am grateful that you weren't sad. I don't know what I would have done if I saw that you were unhappy.

My shrink thinks that I'm a blooming brat because I refuse to write in front of her. She has had my room searched three times to find the letters that I write to you. HA! The look on her face when she doesn't find anything is priceless. I mean, she even checked to see if I wasn't hiding the letters in the books that I got from mom and Ginny. Bless her soul, she is an excellent shrink but she lacks a sense of humour.

Anyway, I have to go. She is coming to check on me…

Love

G

… _wait? He saw me laughing and leaning against a door? How? And he has a shrink?_


	6. Stopped in the road and swimming

**Stopped in the road and swimming**

 _Of course my brother has a shrink! He is in a blooming mental institute, how could he not have a shrink. I run my fingers over his words, gently caressing the paper in the vane hope of touching my brother one last time._

 _I feel my legs tremble and my stomach roll. Of all the things I miss about my brother, I miss his touch the most. I miss the way he used to ruffle my hair or pinch my ear. I missed the way he rubbed me between my shoulder blades when I was sick. I missed the way we walked arm in arm down the passages as we planned trouble. But most of all, I missed his hugs. I missed the hugs we shared when Gryffindor won. I missed the hugs we had when Gryffindor lost. I just missed all of him. Even his missing ear._

 _I don't notice the tears until they start staining the paper, and I can't do anything to stop them. I have never missed someone so much before in my entire life. The words on the page are swimming in my salty tears and I can't help but sniff loudly._

 _Heat danced across my arms and chest as the fireplace lit up again. I pick up the letter without much thought and I break the wax seal._

Dear Fred

I did it! I escaped the loony bin!

Okay, it was only for like an hour or so. But I got out!

I went and I got hold of some ice cream from the vendor at Diagon Alley. It was the most amazing thing I have eaten in a long time. I mean, since when is hospital food anything to write home about? You being my home and all…

Anyway, so I was walking along Baker Avenue, enjoying the sugary goodness of my blueberry cheese cake ice cream with ACTUAL blueberries in it, when all of a sudden this bloke stops me. He literally came out of nowhere! Well duh, he obviously Apperated, but I didn't hear the tell-tale pop of an Apperation.

In any case, so this bloke stops me, and before I can do anything, grabs hold of my free arm and Apperates us back to the hospital lobby.

I mean, after everything I went through to escape! The nerve of some people, you know?

So now I am under surveillance, though at random intervals.

I am so glad I managed to put up that warning charm though, otherwise I will get caught writing and I don't want that woman to read my letters. They belong to you after all.

By the way, I have your wand. I've been using it to write to you. No, I use ink and a quill, but I use your wand to send it-

Shoot, love you.  
G

 _My heart flutters and tingling warmth spreads over my chest. It is so good to know that my brother is still causing chaos and mayhem with my wand. I wonder if it works as well for him as it did for me. I wonder if it remembers me. I sniff again._

 **A/N  
I know it is offensive to call a mental institution a loony bin, but that is not my intention and I do apologise if it has offended you. I simply used it because I can imagine George making use of it. We love the twins, but not for their tact. The stipple line next to send it is where Georges quill slipped on the page.**


	7. Dropped off and it surrounds you

**Dropped off and it surrounds you**

 _I walk over to the writing desk and place the letters in the left drawer. I pick up the key that lay inside; slide the drawer closed and locked it. Then I slipped the key into the left breast pocket inside my robe, so that I could feel it resting against my heart._

 _I leave the study feeling lighter than I did before entering. I know in my heart that my brother is suffering as much as I am. Deep down though, I really want him to live life for the both of us… I want him to be happy; I want him to have a life that I can be proud of even though I will miss it. I want to meet him in the end and be able to hug him and tell him that he lived so marvellously that I was jealous of him._

 _It is forever before he writes me again, and I start to worry. I rip open his letter as soon as I can touch it: so feverish am I for news that I almost tear it in half._

Dear Fred

Mum came by this morning. She dropped off a copy of the Quibbler to cheer me up. There was a letter from Luna and Hermione on the inside. It was really sweet of them.

My shrink thinks I am doing a lot better, so she is writing a request letter for my release. Even though I still think of you every moment, I have come to realise that I now have to live for the both of us.

I hope I make you proud.

I'm sorry it took so long to write this letter, it's just that I didn't know what to say to you anymore. My shrink said that I can write whatever I want. You know, talk about the weather or the strange patients I have come across or even the food, but I don't want to write to you unless it is absolutely important or earth shattering.

Does that make me selfish?

Anyway, back to the Quibbler. So I was reading through it when I came across an interesting article. Harry spoke to the wizarding community after someone allegedly desecrated Snape's grave stone. The inscription read "The bravest man I ever met", which someone changed into "The most spineless and deceiving man we have ever known" and then unstickable stickers were plastered all over it with really foul words on it.

Harry came forth and said that in Snape's last moments, a memory was given to him by the dying professor. Harry later went to the pensive in Dumbledore's office and took a look at the memory. In it, it revealed just how much loyalty Snape had towards Dumbledore and how much Snape actually put on the line to spy on You Know Who for the Order.

Harry went on to say that whoever ruined Snape's grave should be ashamed of themselves for what they have done because they did not know the truth, then the Chosen one sponsored a portrait of Snape to the school so that it may hang beside those of the previous headmasters.

Can you believe it? Snape was on our side after all. And after all the pranks we pulled on him too…

I feel like an idiot for hating the guy. In Hermione's letter, she said that Harry saw Snape ask Dumbledore to keep the best of him a secret. That made me feel even worse.

Mum hugged me for a long time. I have forgotten how her scent surrounds you when she hugs you so tightly. I mean, she smells like home.

I just want to go home Freddie. Not the apartment above the shop but home home, the Burrow.

I hope the doctors let me out soon. I am tired of being alone all the time. Maybe if I have people I will miss you less, but you and I both know that isn't true…

Yours

Georgy

 _So Snape is a hero huh? I suppose that isn't that farfetched. I hope you go home soon brother, I really do._


	8. Make a list and a mountain

**Make a list and a mountain**

 _I wander around this white place listlessly, restlessly as I wait for the next letter from George. I manage to speak to Snape in private and he confirmed Harry's story. He said that he understood why the Potter boy chose to reveal the truth even though he wished the boy hadn't. When I asked him why he wanted everyone to think the worst of him, he simply shrugged and said that he would rather have the masses hate him than show weakness the way he did before he died._

 _I don't believe him though, there is something about what he said that was really out of character for him but I cannot put my finger on it, no matter how many times I run over the conversation in my head._

 _I tried to make a list of all the things he said, but I got bored with it and decided to leave it alone. I spoke to Dumbledore about it but the man is as vague in death as he was in life. So now I'm just wandering about pointlessly because I simply cannot stay still, even for a moment._

 _My mind is too full and my heart is anxious. My mind is anxious and my heart is full._

 _I sighed out loud and make my way to the study, even though my feet move on their own accord as my mind races. I am just outside the door when I hear the fluttering sound of a letter arriving. I reach for the door knob and twist it before throwing the door open._

 _I rush inside to find a mountain of letters inside the fireplace. My heart leaps into my throat, "Why on earth would he send me so many letters at once?" I say a loud._

 _I feel the panic rising, anxiety a ball of bile that is trying to make its way out my mouth. I suddenly feel physically ill, my heart threatening to leap right out of my chest and my mind is whirling at all that could possibly have cause such a build-up of letters. I sink to the floor as I try to catch my breath and suppress the urge to vomit simultaneously._

 _Tears threaten to overwhelm me as I sit on my hand and knees with my forehead pressed to the cool tiles. "Please George, please," I beg softly…_


	9. In a shambles and explore

**In a shambles and explore**

 _My mind was in a shambles as I hurried over to the scattered papers. I snatch the first one I reach off the ground and hold it up to the light to read. Wait, when did it get dark?_

 _I tear open the letters, my mind racing at the half finished works. Letter after letter, I find them incomplete and full of more pain than anyone should have to bear alone. I feel ashamed that I did not realise it sooner, the isolation is taking its toll on my brother and his shrink is not helping him as she should._

 _Well, as I think she should._

 _I am about half way through the mountain of letters, sitting crossed legged on the floor and with my back to the fireplace, when heat dances across my back and neck. I look over to the fireplace to see a thicker letter than normal._

 _I gulp. I feel as though all my nerves had been rubbed raw and my tear ducts hurt from producing so much of the salty liquid. I'm not sure if I want to open this letter, but I owe it to my brother. So I pick it up and break the seal._

Dear Fredrick

Whatever you do, do NOT read those other letters!

Those letters are just rough drafts. Words that I put on to paper when I felt like crying, or when I was angry or when I was feeling lonely.

I want to say that I didn't mean what I wrote, but that would be a lie Freddie. And I cannot lie to you. I cannot lie to myself.

Who am I kidding? You probably aren't even reading this right now. I mean, when have you ever actually read any letters?

I tried so hard to find a way to communicate with you after you died. I explored all the possible avenues through all the books that mom or Ginny or Hermione have brought me. I hate that they aren't working though. I hate that I have hit dead ends time after time.

After all the effort I went through to learn ancient Egyptian so that I could read the hieroglyphics, after practicing the ancient burning spell that supposedly sends the letters to the dead individuals' spirit in the spirit world. And I am still not getting through to you?

Why do I even bother writing this? The shrink doesn't even see what I write to you so it is not as though she can check my progress.

So yes, I meant every word I wrote in all those letters that might have ended up where you are right now.

And I hate you Fredrick.

I hate you for leaving me all alone in this world. I hate that I dream about you every night. I hate that in those dreams, I see you reading letters. As if you were reading the letters I have sent you. You are cruel, brother. You lift my hopes only to have reality crush them into the dust.

Because there is no way that you could possibly be reading my letters. It is an impossibility that was so sweet at first to hope for but became bitter as time goes on.

But your cruelty does not end there brother, oh no. For if it had it would have been a blessing.  
No, your spitefulness has extended from my dreams and into the real world. You fill my waking moments with the sweet mischiefs we concocted.

And I long for you, brother. I long for your hugs, the way you squeeze my waist so tight that I cannot breathe. I long for your touch as you fiddled with my hair as I tried to study or be "boring". I miss how you used to hold me after a nightmare and offer to cuddle with me to help me feel better. I miss your eternal presence at my side no matter what or where we are. And I miss holding you, I miss being held.

So I have concluded that you are indeed a very spiteful soul to haunt me in such a manner. I hear you say my name, all the bloody time. I see you in my shadow. I feel you near me in my weakest moments, which is all the time since I have been taken in by the hospital.

They don't let me see anyone any more, Freddie. Mum, Ginny, Charlie, Bill, Harry, Hermione, Dad, Ron, even Percy- none of them can come and see me.

I feel so alone…

So very alone, all the bloody time!

Do you know what it's like to be alone for so long that you can't even remember what it is like to have a conversation with another human being? To be taken from a place of warmth, of comfort, being surrounded by a large group of people who love you and who want to be with you, who want to comfort you when you look mildly upset and then being placed in an empty white room that has only one bed in it and no one to talk to or to be comforted by?

It is literally killing me, Fred.

I can feel myself slipping closer and closer to the darkness that summons me. And I am so powerless to stop it!

I'm begging you, Freddie, please, please stop haunting me.

If you stop, I might be able to go home. And, dear God, I want to go home.

So please Freddie, please stop. You're hurting me. I'm hurting you. We are hurting each other.  
Why did you have to die? Why didn't I die with you? We entered this world together, so why couldn't we leave it together?

But that would have killed mum, just like me being in here is killing her too. Oh Freddie, how can I stop hurting everyone around me? How do I fix this?

I'm sorry for saying all those awful things Freddie, it isn't your fault. I am such a horrible brother. You know I don't actually hate you. Please don't you leave me too, Fredrick. I don't know what I would do if you stop haunting me. Then I truly would be alone…

So stay with me?

George

 _My fingers tremble as I hold on to the scroll. "I forgive you George, I love you," I mumble into the empty room._

 **A/N  
I don't know if Fred's full name is Fredrick, it was never mentioned. I just use it in this chapter because I want to show how serious this letter is. Like "you know you are in trouble when someone who normally uses nicknames uses your full name" kinda vibe. You feel me? **


	10. A flat tire and a desk lamp

**Flat tire and a desk lamp**

 _I look at all the letters that surround me and I know that I must not read them, but I cannot stop myself from picking them up and skimming through them. Because every single letter is a piece of my brother and I am grateful for every piece I can hold on to. I know that there were never supposed to reach me because they were never sealed. How on earth did my brother manage to send these?_

Dear Fred

Some muggle found a port key, a flat tire, and was transported half way around the world-

Dear Freddie

Harry came to visit today; he had a viscous black eye and a lump on his head the size of a Hippogruff egg. He claimed that he had been hit over the head by a desk lamp. But I know he and Ron had a fight about Ginny. She told me all about the misunderstanding-

Dear Fredster

Ron and Neville Longbottom came to visit me this morning. Ronnie boy had found our trick plants and had asked Neville if he knew about, which he didn't, but he wanted to know about it-

Dearest Fred

The shrink forced me to shave today; she made me look in a mirror. All I saw was you though-

Dear Fred

I can't do this anymore! I don't want to live if I have to live without you! I know that is selfish but I don't care! I don't care about anything anymore-

To Freddie

Why can't you chase away my nightmares anymore? Why have you become my nightmare?-

Fred

Why did you leave? I wanted you to stay with me-

 _By the time I have finished reading through the "rough drafts" I wasn't sure whether I wanted to laugh, cry, smile, die or simply just keep breathing._

 _Yes, I know breathing is an involuntary action, but even that I felt needed to be questioned._

 _I swallow, or try to since my mouth has long since gone desert dry. "Even drier than Snape's sense of humour," I thought. Strangely enough though, my eyes are dry. I did not shed a tear as I read the words that were never intended for me. I did, however, feel at peace with everything._

 _I now understood more of my brothers' troubles and his desire for human interaction. I also understood the extent of his isolation after some incident that was definitely not his fault. I also truly understood the depth of his loneliness. He actually felt as though he were losing his mind due to the lack of human interaction._

 _I wish I could be there with him, just to comfort him. To tell him that everything will work out in the end._

 _But I can't be there with him and I loathe myself for it._


	11. Total silence and ID bracelet

**Dearly beloved readers  
I am so sorry for skipping my update yesterday. But I have a legitimate reason for that.  
I spent about seven hours in the hospital yesterday. It was nothing serious. It didn't occur to me that after surgery that I would be a complete mess and I slept until just before I had to go to the hospital. So there you have it, I was in the hospital. But I'm home now and I'm feeling generous so DOUBLE UPDATE. **

**Total silence and ID bracelet**

 _The darkness washes over the white walls and everything is cold to the touch. It is strange because instead of the 'castle' being white, everything is now thousands of shades of grey. The only white area left is the lounge in which Snape and I like to play chess. Which happens to be all the time now that George has stopped writing to me._

' _Or maybe he hasn't had the chance to write or maybe he has nothing to write about or he is so sick that he can't write or maybe he is in a coma and busy dying or- ENOUGH!' I just need to calm down. My brother is fine, he is still alive and breathing and he is alright. I don't need to worry about him._

 _I need to worry more about myself and the others._

" _The greyness is spreading, soon it will reach this room," Moody says as he swivels his eye around in all directions._

" _Has it reached the study on the second floor?" I ask, panic rising in my chest._

" _It is almost black there. Why?" Moody asks._

" _George's letters!" I exclaim and leap from the high back, light grey chair and sprint from the room._

" _Fred!" Albus cries out and moves after me, only to be stopped by Snape._

" _I will go after him," he says in his nasally voice and glides out of the room, after me like a dark haired dark eyed ghost._

 _I run down the passages, the total silence causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end and everything is cold. My breath fogs up in front of me as I run, not making a sound as I go even though I know that I am panting like a marathon runner half way through the race and that my feet are pounding on the floor. It is as if the greyness is absorbing all sound._

 _I reach the hallway on which the study is situated, and true to Moody's word, the dark greyness has almost reached the door to the study. Further along the passage the greyness becomes as almost black abyss. I hurry to the door and throw it open, scurrying inside as I reach for the key in my breast pocket._

 _I reach the table as I draw out the key, shove the key into the lock and give a half twist to the right. I cannot even hear the sound of the lock sliding open. I pull open the drawer, pull all the letters into a pile, fold them in half hurriedly and shove them into one of the largest pockets I can find, which is the left breast pocket._

 _I struggle to force them all in, but eventually I manage it. I then slide open the right drawer and shove as many quills, ink bottles and sheets of parchment into my remaining pockets as possible._

" _What are you doing boy? Hurry up! The blackness is almost at the door!" Snape cries out from the door way just as the fireplace bursts into flames. I pause for a split second to watch as the flames beat back the tendrils of darkness._

 _I hurry over and snatch the letter before the darkness can swallow it. I then scramble for the door, where Snape snatches at my arm and yanks me along behind him. His strides are longer than my own, even though he is slightly shorter than I am._

" _That was a very foolish thing to do!" he yells as we sprint down passages and past open doors to escape the darkness. "You should have left the bloody thing there! It cost us precious moments, we might not even reach the others at this rate!" he claims._

" _No, I would never leave my brother behind! I had to get this letter, I had to!" I yell back._

 _I don't think he heard me even though we were yelling. We hit the stair well and take the steps two at a time on our decent. The blackness is right on our heels. I don't know why I fear it, but I do. I know that if it swallows me, I might never return. I don't know how I know, I just do._

 _Snape pushes me out in front of him; the arm the he holds is at an odd and uncomfortable angle. It is as if he is trying to get me as far away from the darkness as he can by placing himself between it and me._

 _Just as I fear though, Snape releases me with an almighty shove. I turn back to see him pulling at his robes. "Run Fred, run!" he yells at me. I turn away, ready to run like my life depended on it, but a something tugs at my heart. I turn back and hurry over to Snape's side._

" _What do you think you are doing? I told you to run!" Snape hisses at me._

" _I will tell you what I'm thinking! I'm thinking "What would Harry Potter do?" and he would probably do the exact same thing!" I yell back and tug at the robes._

 _A brilliant flash erupts between Snape and I and it beats back the darkness that held on to his robes. He grabs my arm again and yanks me towards the door where Albus now stood waiting for us. Snape shoves me through the open door while Albus grabs the front of Snape's robes and pulls him inside._

 _The room reverberates with our panting and heaving as we try to catch our breath. My fist is still enclosed around George's letter, which is now a crumpled mess. I start smoothing out the creases when something falls from the letter._

 _I bend over to pick it up; it is some sort of white band with words written on it. On closer inspection I realise it reads 'George Weasely' and it was cut clean off._

 _This is my brother's ID bracelet._


	12. Jumped the fence and joyous moment

**Jumped the fence and a joyous moment**

 _Snape and I were really lucky to get away, even though we weren't exactly sure what we did. We jumped that fence together and hopefully the darkness doesn't reach us here._

 _Lupin and Tonks look very unimpressed when I recount how Snape saved my life, even only for a moment, while Snape glares at me for not listening to him. In my defence, though, when have I actually listened to ANYONE other than George? And I state this, only to be met by an even stonier glare._

 _Madeye Moody, on the other hand, cannot suppress his maniacal laughter. He believes that I am a very audacious little shit and he gives me a rather hard slap on the back. He also confirms my story, saying he had an "eye" on us the entire time._

 _Black sits and glares at Snape, as if he suspects that the dark haired potions/defence against the dark arts professor/ ex-headmaster of Hogwarts were to grow a second head that would be capable of spitting fire. He is also as sullen as ever._

 _I split off from the rest and go sit in the window seat, it is the brightest part of the room after all, and I need the light it provides to read George's letter. I make myself comfortable, pushing around light grey pillows until I am satisfied. I then take the newest letter from its pocket and open it._

Dear Freddy

It's finally done!

The paper work has been filled out, my psych evaluation is in the clear, my bags are packed and I am ready to roll!

I can't believe I'm going home! At last I will be able to sleep in my own bed! I can't wait to leave this place. Okay, that is not entirely true. I have to come back here again on the fifth of every month so that my doctor/shrink can examine me, and of course mom and dad will have to keep a close watch on me, but I'm FREE!

I'm not ready to go back to the shop yet, but I will get there eventually and I will have to invent new ways to create mischief. Because that is what you would have wanted… and I know this because if I had died I would have wanted you to continue on with our legacy.

Forever yours brother  
G

 _I read over the letter again and give a whoop of euphoria so loud that everyone in the room turns to look at me. Albus raises an eyebrow. "I take it something good has happened to your brother," he says and there is a twinkle in his eye._

" _He is finally going home," I say with a huge grin on my face._

" _Going home? What do you mean? Where has he been?" Tonks asks in confusion._

" _What a joyous occasion," Snape says dryly, though I pay him no mind._


	13. Working relationship

**Recovery from_ and a working relationship**

 _The six of us sit huddled together next to the fire place, the greyness getting darker but staying arm's length away from us. It is strange to see the greyness form a semi-circle around us, even above us along the wall._

 _To take our minds off our impending doom, I draw out the letters to read them to everyone, even though I really don't want to._

 _I am saved, however, by the sound of another letter landing in the fire place._

 _I snatch it up just after the flames die down, everyone else gasping as the darkness is beaten back two arm lengths before seeping forward again to an arm's length._

 _This letter almost has no weight to it at all, almost as if there was no bad news to it. For some reason, the bad news, or any bad news, always added some heft to the letter. But not this one, this one is almost light as a feather._

 _So I open it and start reading to the others._

Dear Fredster

I am finally home and well on my way to recovering from post-traumatic stress, a touch of depression, a dollop of anxiety mixed with some hallucinations and a dash of very realistic looking dreams of you.

Wow, that sounds like some sort of recipe to one of Snape's crazy potions, probably even call it _mentallus breakdownum_ in a bottle.  
Okay, that was a nasty thing to say about the guy. I mean, he did kill Dumbledore but the old man was dying anyway. He was doing the headmaster a favour to zap him like that, according to what Harry saw anyway.

On the bright side, I'm not alone anymore. I spend a lot of time with mum now; she is teaching me how to cook a decent meal and how to get rid of troublesome stains, she even taught me how to dance properly. We do that often, dance together, I mean. It's nice to hold her, her warmth is a constant reminder of life. The life that I have to live now, without you.

Some days are better than others, of course. Then again, some days are worse than others too. I have come to realise that I can handle this, but only one day at a time. And that it is okay for me to take it one day at a time.

Heck, last night I even manage to sleep in our room. Before that, I slept in Ron's room.

Oh, and Angelina, you know, the Chaser that played with us, well, she has come to visit me on a number of occasions. She kind of asked me out, on a date, to the movies, where we ended up holding hands.

We, well, we almost kissed. But I couldn't do it, I turned my face away. I apologised profusely of course, I told her that I wasn't entirely better yet and that I didn't know if I ever will be. There must have been tears in my eyes or something because she put her hand on my cheek, she has such soft and small hands, and she ran her thumb under my eye. She said it was okay, she said she will stay with me till the end of the line. So now we sort of have a working relationship. She likes to give me hugs though, can't say I mind them too much, and she is always willing to meet up with me, no matter the time.

We usually end up sitting on the roof of the house, under the stars, sometimes we talk, sometimes we don't, sometimes I cry, sometimes she cries, sometimes we even cry together. And if it is raining, we Apperate to the village for hot coco and mini marshmallows.

Those are really good, by the way. The Muggles are good at something after all, mini marshmallows. I wish you could try them…

Anyway, it's just before sunrise, I didn't sleep much tonight. Kept dreaming of you.

Lots of love

G

 _When I finished reading, I saw that everyone had at least a small smile on their face. Even Snape, even though George technically insulted the guy._

 _Tonks turns to Dumbledore, "Is that true? Were you really dying?"_

 _Dumbledore simply nods his head in acknowledgement._

 **A/N  
Everything that could have gone wrong today practically did, so I'm sorry that this is late(ish). On the plus side, I slept most of the day.**


	14. Show no fear

**Show no fear and under control**

" _It's moving closer," Tonks says as she pulls Lupin against her._

" _What is this stuff?" Black mumbles as he watches it inch closer from all sides._

" _I don't know what it is but it is getting darker by the second, soon it might even swallow us whole," I say._

" _No!" Tonks cries out and buries her face against Lupins chest. The darkness suddenly leaps forward as if to catch her panicked cry._

" _Show no fear!" Dumbledore suddenly bellows out as he rises to his feet. The darkness shies away from him but does not slow its' advance on Tonks and Lupin._

" _Tonks! Snap out of it! You are one of the bravest people I know! You married a werewolf for crying out loud, no offence Lupin, and you can produce a patronus the size of a car! So don't be afraid!" I say as loudly as I can._

" _That's it!" Snape says with a snap of his fingers._

" _What's it?" Black asks sarcastically._

" _The darkness is just like the dementors, it feeds on our fears and makes us forget our happiest moments," Snape says with an expression of realisation dawning on his face. "When it touched me I forgot all the best moments of my life while the worst moments kept playing through my mind," he explains._

" _So what do we do?" I ask as the darkness crept towards my feet._

" _We don't have wands so we cannot produce a patronus, how are we supposed to defeat it?" Black asks in exasperation._

" _Yell out your happiest memory, the one you use to produce a patronus," Snape suggests._

 _We look about uncertainly, none of us really wanting to share such an intimate memory._

" _I might as well give it a shot," I say and take a deep breath. "My happiest memory is seeing my brother grow old after we put our names into the goblet of fire!" I exclaim and watch as the darkness halts in its' approach. "My happiest memory is when Harry gave George and me the money he won from the Triwizard Tournament so that we can start up the joke shop," I say an watch as the darkness moves away slightly. "My happiest memory is Percy coming home after abandoning the family!" I cry out, tears streaming down my face and the darkness leaping away._

" _My happiest memory is meeting and befriending Lily Evens!" Snape says out loud._

" _My happiest moment is meeting my godson and fighting alongside him to defeat the death eaters," Black calls out as he jumps to his feet._

" _My happiest moment is holding my baby boy in my arms for the first time," Lupin says with a huge grin on his face._

" _My happiest memory is marrying Lupin and carrying his child," Tonks says tearfully. "My biggest wish is for our son to live on and have a family of his own," she proclaims._

 _Over and over we relive our greatest memories, from epic pranks to the sweetest love confessions until our throats are raw, our eyes burning and our hearts full of joy._

" _It appears that everything is under control," Dumbledore says with a large grin after confessing his happiest dream being able to teach his sister how to dance._

 _Our white walled environment that we had become so accustomed to is no longer what it once was, for now it looks very much like the Burrow._

 **A/N  
I would just like to dedicate this chapter to Visitkarte, Ezezaguna, ProcrastinatingRavenclaw and Miki Mae. Thank you for sticking with me on this journey and I hope you enjoy what's left of the ride. #TwoChaptersLeft **


	15. Empty calendar

**It was pink and empty calendar**

 _It was strange to see our white environment become alive with actual solid colours. The walls were deep reds and the portraits had polished, golden frames. The carpeted floor was thick and the light streaming in through the windows had a warm, sunshiny glow to it._

" _Where are we?" Black asks softly while his eyes adjust to the sudden explosion of colour._

" _I think Fred will be able to answer that question," Dumbledore says with a soft smile on his lips._

" _It looks like- no, it feels like home. The Burrow," I say as I move around what used to be my old living room at home. The space felt bigger and smaller at the same time, bigger because my family was not there to take up the space, but smaller because of all the people who are there and taking up space._

 _I move along the walls and touch each picture frame in turn. The paintings were still the same, but the picture frames were empty. "This one was the newspaper clipping from when we all went to Egypt, and this one was from last Christmas. That one was a collage of everyone's first morning to the Hogwarts Express, oh, and that one was a picture of Harry in his knitted jersey," I say and my eyes start to burn as I recount all the memories that were made in this house, with my family._

 _I move around the rickety building and point out to random object that are different from what I remember._

" _And that frog, that was a birthday present to Ginny when she turned six, and it was pink. Oh, and that tea set was green with blue polka dots and white rims. And that clock against the ceiling was actually against that wall," I say as I point._

" _I hate to be rude, but what do I actually care if the tea cups are a different colour or if there is a clock glued to the ceiling?" Snape deadpanned._

" _Well, I suppose it doesn't make a difference to you," I say and spot something over his shoulder that has all the blood drain from my face._

 _I rush forward and push past the potions professor and lean against the empty counter top._

" _This can't be! No, no, no, no, no!" I say as I run my fingers over the blank pages._

" _What is it?" Moody asks._

" _How am I supposed to remember if it is empty?" I ask frantically with tears streaming down my cheeks._

" _Remember what, Fred?" Tonks asks as she steps up to me._

" _The calendar, it's empty. How am I supposed to remember everyone's birthdays if it's empty?" I ask desperately._

" _What does it matter?" Snape asks. "You are dead, I am dead, all of us in this room right now, we are all dead. We can't even measure the passage of time in this place, so why do you need to remember?"_

" _Because I want my life to be something real!" I yell back as I spin on my heel and try to lunge at Snape. "Right now it feels like my whole life was a dream and a figment of my imagination! As though I were under a sleeping curse of some sort or in a coma! I don't want it all to be a dream, I especially don't want George to be a dream!" I exclaim at the top of my lungs as Tonks hold me back._

" _It's okay, Fred. Shhh, it's okay. Do you still have those quills and ink bottles with you?" she asks in a soothing, motherly tone._

" _Yes," I croak._

" _Then let's make our own calendar," she murmurs._

 _I nod slowly, slump into a chair at the kitchen table as she takes down the calendar and we set off to work._


	16. Dowsing and two hens

**Dowsing and two hens**

 _I don't know how long Tonks and I sat there like that, writing down numbers and names until the calendar looked almost like it used to._

 _A fluttering sound comes from inside the oven and I know all too well what that means. So I clamber to my feet and open the oven door, just to have hot steam waft into my face and the smell of freshly baked blueberry muffins fills the room. My stomach suddenly growls so loud that is could scare off a humpbacked whale._

 _Everyone else must have felt the same way because they all march into the room as though the living dead and they were all practically drooling. I grabbed the letter and a muffin and sprinted up the staircase to my left before anyone could ask questions._

 _I find myself going to my room and I take a seat on my brothers' bed. I take a large bite out of the muffin and practically moan as it melts on my tongue. Then I open up the letter._

Dear Fred

Angie and I went to a muggle carnival. It is nothing like our wicked wizarding festivals but it was still pretty fun. At one stage we were dowsing each other with water in what they call a 'Water War', you would have enjoyed it. Angie and I entered an event called a 'raffle', which is a lot like picking a winner at random, and you know what we won? Two hens! Of all things, we won two hens.

What rotten luck.

Ron and Hermione are dating, which I really did not see coming. I think he is going to propose soon as well, because he keeps carrying this little box around in his pocket and he keeps muttering "todays the day".

Angie and I are working at the joke shop now, though I haven't got the courage to go to the apartment.

It still hurts, you know? I miss you so much sometimes that I forget how to draw breath. Sometimes I feel as though you were just some elaborate dream that my subconscious came up with because I was lonely, and I hate feeling like this.

My shrink says its "normal" to feel this way, but I don't want to feel like this! I really don't! Especially not after what happened to our clock last night, it made mum and Ginny cry for HOURS. Because, Freddy, the clock went from saying that you were 'LOST' to pointing that you were 'HOME' and it chimed at the ungodly hour of half past one in the morning.

Of course we sent for a repair man immediately, but once he had a look at it he said that it was working just fine and that it was the best kept clock he had seen in a long time. Once we explained that you were dead, all the colour drained from his face. He took another look at it and said that it wasn't broken.

So are you home, Freddy?

Anyway, I have to go, mum just made blueberry muffins to cheer us all up.

Love you loads like chocolate toads

G

 _It felt as though the muffin was trying to suffocate me, for I had swallowed it almost un-chewed when I read my brothers letter. After a few strangled gulps I manage to get it down before wiping at my eyes._

" _I am home, George," I whisper softly into our empty room._

 **A/N  
** **Mischief Managed**


End file.
